Tate Nation's non-traditional paintings are a lively medley of bold compositions, festive themes, and a vivid Caribbean-influenced color palette.  Using an unorthodox arsenal of knives, stiff brushes and numerous unconventional implements, Tate paints each piece in multiple layers of acrylics on canvas-covered wood panels, creating vibrant paintings that are drenched in texture. Tate's works have been commissioned by the U.S. Postal Service, Coca-Cola, Delta and United Airlines, Canon USA, Time-Life, and Radisson Hotels Worldwide, among others. His paintings are held in many private collections and have appeared in numerous national publications. Two of his paintings have been exhibited in the Society of Illustrators' Museum of American Illustration in New York City, and he has illustrated several children's books. Tate's painting "Dance!" was chosen as the official image for the 2000 Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC, and graced the covers of over 65,000 program guides and posters during the 17-day festival of cultural arts. In 2006, Tate was selected to serve as Illustrator-in-Residence at the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, for their Authors and Illustrators education & outreach program. Raised in Kentucky and upstate New York, Tate received his BFA from Western Kentucky University, where he swam on an athletic scholarship. Tate is a co-owner of Shem Creek Art Gallery. He and his wife, Jeanne, live in Mt. Pleasant, SC with their two daughters.